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A30 world news
Diahuebs 15 aPRiL 2021

Iran's supreme leader: Vienna offers 'not worth looking at'

West and the International
Atomic Energy Agency says
Tehran had an organized
military nuclear program up
until the end of 2003. An an-
nual U.S. intelligence report
released Tuesday maintained
the American assessment that
“Iran is not currently under-
taking the key nuclear weap-
ons-development activities
that we judge would be nec-
essary to produce a nuclear
device.”

Iran previously had said it
could use uranium enriched
up to 60% for nuclear-pow-
ered ships. However, the Is-
lamic Republic currently has
no such ships in its navy.

Iran had been enriching up to
20% — even that was a short
technical step to weapons-
grade levels. The deal limited
Iran's enrichment to 3.76%

Officials initially said the
higher enrichment would
begin Wednesday. However,
an early Wednesday morning
tweet from Iran’s envoy to
the IAEA, Kazem Gharibaba-
di, suggested it might come
(AP) — Iran's supreme In Jerusalem at a Memorial first, and we are assured that later.
leader on Wednesday dis- He also criticized the U.S. Day commemoration, Israeli it’s done, then we will do
missed initial offers at and warned time could be Prime Minister Benjamin what is we are required to He later posted a letter ad-
talks in Vienna to save running out. Netanyahu appeared to ref- do," he said. dressed to IAEA Director-
Tehran's tattered nuclear erence Iran. General Rafael Grossi warn-
deal as “not worth looking “The talks shouldn’t become France, Germany and the ing against “any adventurism
at,” attempting to pres- talks of attrition,” Khame- “We must never remain apa- United Kingdom, all par- by (the) Israeli regime” tar-
sure world powers after nei said. "They shouldn’t be thetic to the threats of war ties to the nuclear deal, only geting Iranian nuclear sites.
an attack on the country's in a way that parties drag on and extermination of those hours earlier issued a joint
main nuclear enrichment and prolong the talks. This is who seek to eliminate us,“ he statement Wednesday ex- “The most-recent cowardly
site. harmful to the country.” said. Israel has not claimed pressing their “grave con- act of nuclear terrorism will
the attack, though it rarely cern” over Iran’s decision to only strengthen our determi-
The comments by Ayatollah Speaking to his Cabinet, an does in its ongoing shadow increase enrichment. nation to march forward and
Ali Khamenei, who has final impassioned Iranian Presi- war against Tehran. to replace all (damaged) cen-
say on all matters of state in dent Hassan Rouhani said “This is a serious develop- trifuges with even more ad-
the Islamic Republic, came the first-generation IR-1 cen- The talks in Vienna are aimed ment since the production vanced and sophisticated ma-
after a day that saw Iran's trifuges that were damaged in at finding a way for the Unit- of highly enriched uranium chines,” Gharibabadi wrote.
president similarly ratchet Sunday's attack would be re- ed States to re-enter Teh- constitutes an important step
up pressure over the accord. placed by advanced IR-6 cen- ran’s nuclear agreement with in the production of a nuclear IAEA inspectors visited Na-
European powers meanwhile trifuges that enrich uranium world powers and have Iran weapon,” the countries said. tanz on Wednesday on their
warned Tehran of a planned much faster. comply again with its limits. “Iran has no credible civilian first trip since the sabotage,
formal round of negotiations The accord, which former need for enrichment at this the agency said, without elab-
its actions were “particularly “You wanted to make our President Donald Trump level.” orating on what they found.
regrettable” and “dangerous.” hands empty during the talks unilaterally withdrew the
but our hands are full,” Rou- U.S. from in 2018, prevented China and Russia also took The weekend attack at Na-
The talks already have been hani said. Iran from stockpiling enough part in the deal. tanz was initially described
thrown into disarray by a high-enriched uranium to only as a blackout in the
weekend attack on Iran's main Rouhani added: “60% en- be able to pursue a nuclear Saudi Arabia, a regional ri- electrical grid feeding above-
Natanz nuclear enrichment richment is an answer to your weapon in exchange for the val to Iran, similarly issued a ground workshops and un-
site suspected to have been evilness. ... We cut off both of lifting of economic sanctions. statement, saying enriching at derground enrichment halls
carried out by Israel. Tehran your hands, one with IR-6 that level “could not be con- — but later Iranian officials
retaliated by announcing it centrifuges and another one Rouhani in his comments sidered a program intended began calling it an attack.’
would enrich uranium up to with 60%.” Wednesday insisted Iran is for peaceful purposes.”
60% — higher than it ever still hoping that the Vienna Alireza Zakani, the hard-line
has before but still lower than Rouhani also accused Israel talks lead to a negotiated set- “The kingdom calls on Iran head of the Iranian parlia-
weapons-grade levels of 90%. of being behind the Natanz tlement over its program — to avoid escalation and not to ment’s research center, re-
"The offers they provide are attack. and the accompanying lift- subject the security and sta- ferred to “several thousand
usually arrogant and humili- ing of punishing sanctions. bility of the region to more centrifuges damaged and
ating (and) are not worth “Apparently this is a crime Khamenei as well said he be- tension, and to engage seri- destroyed” in a state TV in-
looking at,” the 81-year-old by the Zionists. If the Zion- lieved in his negotiators, but ously in the current negotia- terview. However, no other
Khamenei said in an address ists take an action against our kept up the pressure on the tions,” Saudi Arabia said. official has offered that figure
marking the first day of the nation, we will respond,” he West in his remarks Wednes- and no images of the after-
holy Muslim fasting month said, without elaborating. day night. Iran insists its nuclear pro- math have been released.
of Ramadan in Iran. “They must do what we say gram is peaceful, though the